Montblanc Reconnects With Nature And Its Heritage Through The 1858 Collection

The maison presents a new blue theme, as a nod to glaciers and snowy-mountains

Montblanc combined the past and the present through design, style and technical innovation in its latest 1858 collection. It features sporty vintage timepieces inspired by the trend for reconnecting to nature as well as Montblanc’s own heritage. In particular, the design codes of the Montblanc 1858 product line are directly rooted in the spirit of mountain exploration with distinctive elements that are reminiscent of the original Minerva chronographs from the 1920s and 1930s.

Montblanc showcases a new blue and icy white aesthetic combined with a mix of materials such as titanium and ceramic in the new models, completing the existing 1858 line . For one, the core collection comes in two blue executions with a new aesthetic that includes a fluted stainless steel bezel, which is highlighted with a blue ceramic inlay and engraved cardinal points coated with Super-LumiNova.

The Montblanc 1858 Geosphere is presented in grade 5 titanium combined with its two distinctive domed turning hemisphere globes and world-time complication. As one of the key icons of the 1858 line, the 1858 Geosphere is dedicated to the world’s Seven Summits mountaineering challenge, with the actual summits marked alongside the Mont Blanc on the turning globes with blue dots.

Speaking of which, the watch also unveils a unique engraving of the Mont Blanc mountain on the case back – along with a compass and two crossed ice pick-axes – which further reinforce the spirit of mountain exploration and the iconic peak which inspired the founders of the maison.

To make it even more special, the watch also comes with cathedral-shaped hands in a cloisonné design, railway minute tracks and the original Montblanc logo from the 1930s with its historical font and emblem of the Mont Blanc mountain on the dial upfront.

As a final touch, the watch is available in a choice of a new blue Sfumato calf leather strap with white stitching, or with a new vintage bi-material technical bracelet made of matt, satin-finished titanium and polished stainless steel.

Montblanc 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100

In addition to the 1858 Collection with the new blue theme, Montblanc also unveiled the 1858 Split Second Chronograph Limited Edition 100. This time around, the maison reinterprets a 44mm historical Minerva military monopusher chronograph from the 1930s with a very distinctive dial comprising a snail shape tachymeter scale in the centre and a telemeter scale on the internal flange.

Upfront, we can see that a special attention has been paid to the dial which is crafted from solid gold and is adorned with a gradated blue grand feu enamel—one of the oldest and most precious crafts in watchmaking—allowing an authentic shiny aesthetic and a subtle, yet magical depth. The blue coloured background is also paired with orange and white elements that accentuate the vintage style, while also providing excellent readability of the complications both at day and night.

As mentioned before, the watch has a white telemeter scale that runs around the dial just like the original timepiece. More importantly, the telemeter was a common feature on the legendary Minerva chronographs and adds both function and a vintage touch to this new timepiece. Aside to that, it also has a tachymeter at the centre of the dial in a snail shape, which lets the wearer measure a length of time of up to three minutes instead of one minute as is the case in a traditional chronograph scale around the dial.

Remarkably, it’s combined with a complex rattrapante (split second chronograph complication) – developed by the Montblanc engineers – that enables the user to measure intermediate times without interrupting the ongoing measurement of a longer elapsing time. Moreover, for better legibility, the chronograph indications are displayed via a beige central chronograph second hand, an orange split second hand to measure a second time interval and a chronograph minute counter at three o’clock.

Inside, the watch is driven by the Manufacture monopusher chronograph calibre MB M16.31, an evolution of the MB M16.29 movement which takes its inspiration from the original Minerva calibre 17.29 developed in the 1930s. Framed in a 44mm full satin-finished grade 5 titanium case enabling robustness, the watch is completed with a matching blue Sfumato alligator strap that has been hand-crafted by the Pelletteria in Florence, Italy.

Overall, inspired by its heritage and also the colors of glaciers and ice that can range from the purest white to the deepest shades of blue, Montblanc successfully combines all those elements to create both a very cold and modern tool-watch look.